Dominican University – Graduate School of Library and Information Science

Syllabus, Course Schedule, Outline

 

REFERENCE & ONLINE SERVICES (LIS 704 50)

 

Fall Term 2007 – Tuesdays 5pm to 6pm

September 11, 2007 – December 18, 2007

Harold Washington Library -- Chicago

Classes scheduled from 5:00pm - -8:00pm

 

John A. Shuler, MSLIS

Adjunct Faculty, Dominican University

Associate Professor, University of Illinois at Chicago

Bibliographer for Urban Planning and Government Information/Documents Librarian

Collection Development Department

801 S. Morgan St., Richard J. Daley Library, University of Illinois at Chicago

Chicago, Illinois 60608. Office phone: (312) 413-2594.

FAX: (312) 413-0424. Email: alfred@uic.edu

 

CLASS SESSION

DATE

Class Topics

1

09/11/2007

Introduction to course; expectations for acceptable class performance; the history and nature of public and online services in libraries

2

09/18/2007

Reference Interview –Traditions

3

09/25/2007

Reference Interview – Electronic Revolutions

4

10/02/2007

Understanding User Communities

5

10/09/2007

Directories, Almanacs, Yearbooks

6

10/16/2007

Biographical Sources, Dictionaries

7

10/23/2007

Encyclopedias, Geographical Sources

8

10/30/2007

Indexes, Abstracts

9

11/06/2007

Government Documents, Statistics

10

11/13/2007

Managing Reference Services

11

11/20/2007

Organizing and Delivering Reference Services

12

11/27/2007

Reference Services for Different Populations

13

12/04/2007

The Future Ain’t What it Use to Be – Part One

14

12/11/2007

The Future Ain’t What it Use to Be – Part Two

15

12/18/2007

One Final Challenge

 

 

 

 

 

The course objectives will be to understand, discuss, and write about several critical issues librarians must wrestle with in order to sustain an organized system of public services within their institutional budgets and bibliographic programs, operations and collections. Further, students will demonstrate mastery of course content (through the assigned readings and class discussion), show evidence they understand the essential processes that support public services in libraries, and can reasonably discuss the implications, and use, of  relevant reference tools in all formats. Further, students will demonstrate a clear grasp of the implications of digital public services in the library. To meet these course objectives students will be able to: 

  • Demonstrate a clear grasp of the history and philosophy of reference services;
  • Demonstrate a clear understanding of how reference services operate in libraries;
  • Demonstrate a clear understanding of how to use both traditional and evolving forms of bibliographic structures/tools used in reference services;
  • Demonstrate an informed professional assessment on the challenges and opportunities confronting libraries in a new century of electronic reference services;
  • Demonstrate an ability to work together in small groups to complete short assignments and make class presentations.

 

There are no assigned textbooks for this course. Students will draw upon the assigned readings given by the instructor and available through the course blackboard web site. Students will be evaluated on how well they meet these objectives through the quality and consistency of attendance, participation, and successful completion of assignments/class projects.  Demonstrable success will depend upon the following:

  • showing up for class;
  • clear and active participation in group discussions (i.e., demonstrable contributions based on the class assignments, , and relative experiences);
  • a clear ability to analyze, interpret and understand the basic organizing principles of reference services within the structures of library theory and practice, especially as this analysis and interpretation is demonstrated through the assigned , class discussions, and successful completion of presentations, assignments and projects;
  • Clear, organized, and effective writing.

 

There will be three required bibliographic/research projects that will demonstrate the student’s understanding of how the research/reference process works and how reference services are deployed within a library setting.  Grade distribution will follow, approximately, these percentages;

 

Three bibliographic/research projects (based on quality of writing and organization):           60%

Participation in class and discussions:                                                                                            30%

Attendance, keeping to deadlines and expectations:                                                                    10%

 

The Graduate School of Library and Information Science faculty use the following guidelines in grading.

 

Text Box: Grade Numeric Definition A 4.0 Outstanding achievement - Student performance demonstrates full command of the course materials and evinces a high level off originality and/or creativity that far surpasses course expectations; nearly flawless work A- 3.67 Excellent achievement - Student performance demonstrates thorough knowledge of the course materials and exceeds course expectations by completing all requirements in a superior manner. B+ 3.33 Good solid work - Student performance demonstrates strong comprehension of the course materials and exceeds course expectations on all tasks as defined by the course syllabus. B 3.0 Satisfactory acceptable work - Student performance meets designated course expectations, demonstrates understanding of the course materials and performs at an acceptable level. B- 2.67 Marginal work - Student performance demonstrates incomplete, substandard understanding of course materials and inability to meet course expectations. C+ 2.33 Unsatisfactory work - Student performance demonstrates unsatisfactory understanding of course materials and inability to meet course requirements. C 2.0 Unacceptable work - Student performance demonstrates incomplete and inadequate understanding of course materials. C- 1.67 Poor work F 0.0 Failing Grade

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Class Schedule, Discussion Points

Class 1            September 11, 2007: Overview

Discussion will include the following points

  • Introduction to course and Instructor’s Background;
  • Expectations for acceptable class performance;
  • Class projects
  • Overview about history, nature and philosophy of library public and online services

 

Class 2            September 18, 2007: Reference Interview –Traditions

Discussion will include the following points

  • Basic concepts in human communication
  • The art of the reference interview
  • The practice of the reference interview
  • The institutional constraints of public services

 

Class 3            September 25, 2007: Reference Interview – Electronic Revolutions

Discussion will include the following points:

  • Digital aspects of human communication
  • Reference in an nonlinear world
  • Just in case reference vs. just in time reference – institutional implications
  • When the Internet is the reference collection

 

Class 4            October 02, 2007: Understanding User Communities

Discussion will include the following points:

  • Know you audience
  • User services in libraries not reference centric
  • Finding out what your community needs or wants

 

Class 5            October 09, 2007: Directories, Almanacs, Yearbooks

Discussion will include the following points:

  • Types of Questions
  • Selecting the best sources
  • How to use the sources

 

Class 6            October 16, 2007: Biographical Sources, Dictionaries

Discussion will include the following points:

  • Types of Questions
  • Selecting the best sources
  • How to use the sources

 

 

 

Class 7            October 23, 2007: Encyclopedias, Geographical Sources

Discussion will include the following points:

  • Types of Questions
  • Selecting the best sources
  • How to use the sources

 

Class 8            October 30, 2007: Bibliographic Sources, Indexes, Abstracts

Discussion will include the following points:

  • Types of Questions
  • Selecting the best sources
  • How to use the sources

 

Class 9            November 06, 2007: Government Documents, Statistics

Discussion will include the following points:

  • Types of Questions
  • Selecting the best sources
  • How to use the sources

 

Class 10          November 13, 2007: Managing Reference Services

Discussion will include the following points

  • Managing personnel
  • Managing space
  • Managing resources

 

Class 11          November 20, 2007: Organizing and Delivering Reference Services

Discussion will include the following points:

  • In person services
  • Collections and user education

 

Class 12          November 27, 2007: Reference Services for Different Populations

Discussion will include the following points:

  • Life in public libraries
  • Life in special libraries
  • Life in academic libraries

 

Class 13          December 04, 2007: The Future Ain’t What it Use to Be – Part One

Discussion will include the following points:

  • Gutenberg Librarianship
  • Post-Gutenberg Libraianship

 

Class 14          December 11, 2007: The Future Ain’t What it Use to Be – Part Two

Discussion will include the following points:

  • One final challenge from Google

 

Class 15          December 18, 2007: Getting to the next level